The presence of certain biomarker proteins and/or irregular protein concentrations is a sign of cancer and other disease states. Sensitive, convenient and precise protein-sensing methods provide crucial tools for the early diagnosis of diseases and successful treatment of patients. However, protein detection is a challenging problem owing to the structural diversity and complexity of the target analytes. At present, the most extensively used detection method for proteins is the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this system, the capture antibodies immobilized onto surfaces bind the antigen through a “lock-key” approach, and another enzyme-coupled antibody is combined to react with chromogenic or fluorogenic substrates to generate detectable signals. Despite its high sensitivity; the application of this method is restricted because of its high production cost, instability and challenges regarding quantification. Although synthetic systems would alleviate some of these concerns, obtaining high affinity and specificity remains quite challenging. As a result, the search for sensitive, efficient and cost-effective protein detection and identification remains an on-going concern in the art.